


the space between will slowly disappear

by biceps



Series: takes you high (korosensei/reader) [2]
Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Cunnilingus, First Kiss, Friends With Benefits, Implied Sexual Content, Masturbation, Mental Health Issues, Other, Scent Kink, Teasing, Unresolved Sexual Tension, consensual voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 03:55:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14926661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biceps/pseuds/biceps
Summary: You can't ever stray too far.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> surprise! i'm writing more koro-sensei/reader even though i have sooo many other things to be working on! yaaay
> 
> so, instead of adding these as chapters to the original oneshot, i'm gonna try to write these as separate fics... like a compilation of snippets from koro-sensei and the reader's adventure in navigating their relationship. (also i'm just not good at multi chapter fics lol...) that said, i'm really surprised at the koro-sensei/reader fics cropping up??! y'all also inspired me into writing more for him, so thank you very much!! i'll try to comment accordingly soon :') you're all doing a great job
> 
> also: for those of you who also read my all might/reader: i promise i'm writing a sequel!! i've been trying for months but i can't get my bnha muse flowing like i used too... i'll do my best for you guys, though, so keep your eyes peeled :-)
> 
> like always, i don't own assclass or koro-sensei, unbeta'd, all mistakes are my own, etc.

An impressive variety of desserts are neatly arranged inside the display, ranging from pastries to parfaits, to slices of cake and pie, and even a platter of macarons nearest to the register. Each item has a corresponding name tag, handwritten in a neat, flowy style. You’re not even sure where to look, and you barely have time to register what you’re looking at before your eye catches another vivid color or interesting shape.

Your companion is just as enamoured as you, a line of drool spilling out the side of his mouth as he surveys the options. He towers over you and the display case, even when hunched over, and several patrons gawk at him. He pays them no mind, though, and his eyes sparkle suddenly, iris wide with white.

“ _That_ one,” He coos, the finger of his glove pressed against the glass.

The slice of cake has several layers of frosting and cream, with bits of strawberry carefully placed into each layer. A couple larger pieces are arranged on the top of the confection, strikingly beautiful and even making you a little hungry for it. You grin, already walking up to the young woman behind the register.

“I got ya, Sensei.” You tug your wallet out of your pocket, card at the ready.

One slice is a lot pricier than you thought, but the way Koro-sensei’s face lights up when he has the cake seated in front of him makes it all worth it. A couple minutes pass and he’s already half done with it; he must’ve been holding himself back to save face in public. Cute.

“How’s it taste?” You know the answer already; you ask anyway.

Koro-sensei makes a delighted sound, eyes lopsided and watering with joy, mouth stretched into a half-delirious grin around the fork. “It’s _wonderful,_ ” He gasps, finally. “Simply _divine_.”

A laugh bubbles up from deep in your throat. “Good. Glad it was worth the price tag.”

He’s probably been eyeing this place for awhile, you figure after glancing around. It certainly didn’t seem like a regular spot for someone who lived off of a teacher’s wage, with the fancy, marble decor and immaculately decorated tables. It seemed a little slow for a Friday, especially late afternoon, but maybe this was one of those kinds of places where it was _supposed_ to be slow and at ease...

You turn back to Koro-sensei, who is lounging back in his seat comfortably, the plate before him spotless. “Thank you _so_ much, my dear.” He sighs, dabbing at his mouth with a small handkerchief. “That was lovely! We really must do this again.”

“Yeah?” An endeared smile pulls at your lips. “You gonna buy me an overpriced dessert next time?”

“Sure! Once payday hits, most definitely!”

“Heh. It’s alright, Sensei, I’m joking… It’s the least I can do for ya, after you helped me out the other night.”

Koro-sensei beams at you, his pale head taking on a reddish tint. “It was a pleasure, my dear! It was just as good for me as it was for you.”

Despite the family friendly tone in his voice, a small shudder passes through your body. It has been a week since your tryst with the octopus, and he still had the same magnetic effect on you as ever. “Hey, uh, are you interested in anything else here? That cake was cheaper than I thought, so -“

You catch only a dastardly glint in his eye before he disappears, reappearing at the counter and pointing out several more confections.

—

You’re walking him home, in the mid evening light, when you decide to pop the question.

“So, like… Was this a date?”

Koro-sensei, who had been lovingly stroking his full stomach, goes stock still. His head goes a bright peach color in an attempt to keep his disguise, and you stop just a couple steps ahead of him to wait on his answer.

“Y-Yes, I suppose so,” He nods sheepishly. The color goes back to the pale skin tone, but he doesn’t move.

You wring your hands. “Well,” How to put it, how to put it… “Don’t - Don’t take this the wrong way, Koro-sensei, but... “ You swallow a lump in your throat. “‘Dunno if you noticed, but I’m a little emotionally stunted. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a relationship, and even longer since I’d had a good lay. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, because I do, but I don’t think I could do anything serious. Not now, anyway.”

You settle your hands around your neck. “If that doesn’t work for you, then that’s fine by me. I think it… It might be better for me if I stick around at the school, so I’ll always be nearby, but I can do whatever you want to. I don’t mind.”

Your mock aloofness surprised you - not like the thought of Koro-sensei rejecting you made your whole body threaten to shut down, but whatever. You knew you would never live up to someone like him, but you were trying to be more honest with yourself, your wants, and your weaknesses. This was the first step of many - laying out what your current emotional state was, what you think you needed, and making sure Koro-sensei knew he had a choice. The last thing you wanted was to trap him in something.

Said octopus approaches you, the same nigh-unreadable expression on his face. He places a gloved tentacle on your shoulder. “I am perfectly alright with that, my dear. I also don’t think I could do anything with too much commitment, what with being a dedicated teacher and all. I would not object to the occasional meeting, though...” His grin grows a little more sleazy, and you lean into him with one of your own, your heart flip flopping in your chest.

“Sounds good to me, Sensei.” You nudge him with your shoulder and he giggles - the rare physical contact with him like this felt strange, especially when you couldn’t catch him in the first place. Not that it was a bad thing, mind you.

“Actually, wait.” Koro-sensei freezes next to you, cocking his head curiously. You rub the back of your neck. “I’d kinda like this to be kept on the down low, if you don’t mind. I mean, the students finding out would be embarrassing, but I’m worried about the government and Karasuma. I don’t want them to think they can use me to get to you.” An awkward flush spreads across your face. As if you mean _that_ much to Koro-sensei.

Said octopus hums quietly. “You don’t have much faith in Karasuma-san, do you?”

“No, I do, it’s just… He’s very _lawful,_ yanno?”

Koro-sensei nods. He gets this far off look in his eye and doesn’t say anything more, still standing in silence with you in the street. It feels heavy and foreboding.

“I’d also like to keep my job.” You chuckle dryly. “It wouldn’t look too good if my superiors found out that I’m sleeping with my target.”

Thankfully, Koro-sensei laughs at that. You release a breath you didn’t know you were holding. “Oh, I understand completely! Don’t worry, my dear.” A gentle squeeze on your shoulder. His finger rises to his perpetual grin, as if he were shushing you. “I will keep this secret. Cross my heart!”

You grin broadly, rising your own hand to rest on his shoulder. “Cross my heart.”

You part ways with him shortly after. He had tests to grade and lesson plans to make up - you also had paperwork to do (much less than he did) and a letter to your employers to write.

\--

Sunday night came a lot more slowly than you wanted it to. The progression of time always seemed to be working against you; of course it dragged on when you were so looking forward to Monday.

You narrow your eyes at your phone. It was 10:45pm - you’d been switching between grading quizzes and filling out mission reports for two hours. You didn’t realize you had been favoring the quizzes until there weren’t any more to mark off and you groan.

 _Maybe I should’ve become a teacher_ , you muse. Paperwork for your ‘real’ job was always tedious, but this was ridiculous. Sure, you could spend hours writing about Koro-sensei, but keeping it professional and treating him like a target (like he should be) is difficult. Reading the students’ answers is much more engaging; you were beginning to differentiate between students by their handwriting alone.

You stand from your desk and stretch, the joints in your arms and legs making satisfying ‘pop’s. The mission reports could wait - they weren’t due until Wednesday, anyhow, and your job as a teacher took precedent.

As you get ready to settle in for the night, you can’t help but feel ridiculously giddy over seeing your colleague tomorrow. It has been awhile since you’d been intimate with someone (and even longer since you’d gone on a proper ‘date’), so these feelings were strange, but not horrible. It was almost like having a crush, but ten times better purely because the target is also into you. It’s invigorating. You find yourself smiling into your mirror after brushing your teeth, padding out of your bathroom and into the living area.

That’s when you realize something feels off.

You freeze in the middle of the dark room, the light from the street lamp outside dying the carpet a bright blue. Otherwise, it’s completely dark past your balcony, and you stare into the inky blackness. You switch on the balcony light, yellow flooding the carpet and wooden deck, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. You have an inkling of something...

You push open the doors to your balcony, staring incredulously over the edge and into the dark. “Koro-sensei…?”

A beat of nothing. Then, a splash of yellow appears on the edge of the railing, straining as they pull the hefty form of the octopus teacher up and over, standing his full height before you. Well, full height minus a couple inches, as he is hunched over with a sheepish look. His head glows a faint light blue color in the dark.

“... Sensei... why are you hanging off my balcony? It’s like…” You glance at your phone. “Almost eleven. Don’t you have classes to prep for?”

“Yes, I do, but I, um…” Sweat beads along his head as he wrings his tentacles together, small eyes avoiding your own. You had seen Koro-sensei frazzled before, but nothing to this degree… He seemed more anxious than ever before. Worry pools in the pit of your stomach.

“Is everything alri -”

“Please excuse me!” The octopus suddenly bows at your feet, pounding his head into your floor. “I know it has been only a couple days, but I wanted to see you again!”

Koro-sensei then proceeds to babble his head off while repeatedly slamming face first into the floor of your balcony. At risk of getting your nosy neighbor’s attention, you grasp the back of his jacket and drag him inside (he’s a bit lighter than expected, you notice), shutting and latching the doors behind him as he continues to sob into your wooden floor.

“Okay, _okay_ ! Sensei, I can’t understand a word you’re saying. _Please_ relax!” You crouch down in front of him, holding his rotund cheeks in your hands. The edges of his eyes are all fuzzy as streams of tears spill out of them. “Listen, lemmie get you a glass of water, okay? Sit down.”

Soon the octopus teacher is sitting politely in the center of your floor, sniffling quietly with a handkerchief in one hand and a cup of water in the other.

“I had difficulty grading my papers because I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” He says quietly, dabbing at his eyes with the handkerchief. “I got them done, of course, but just barely… I only wanted to check up on you and make sure you were doing well. Please believe me when I say that I am _not_ a stalker! Please forgive me, my dear! I understand if you never want to see me again after this…!!”

Fresh tears sprout from Koro-sensei’s eyes. You run a hand through your hair, exasperated. “Is that all? Calm down, Sensei, you’re fine.”

He blinks at you, the teardrops skittering down his perfectly round cheeks. He looks cute like this, you muse - looking at you with unabashed vulnerability. You lower yourself to meet his eye (which, granted, isn’t much - he’s still pretty tall, even when sitting) and pat his shoulder. “It’s kinda sweet of you to wanna check up on me. But next time, just knock on the front door, okay?”

Koro-sensei dabs at his eyes just a bit more. “Okay. Thank you, my dear.”

“No problem, you goober.” You can’t help the fond, tired smile that pulls at your lips. “Since you’re here, though, you might as well stick around for a bit.”

He looks to you, blinking his tiny white eyes at you. “You don’t mind?”

“Nah, it’s been a long time since I’ve had company. Here, I’ll take your glass.”

A tentacle extends the now empty glassware to you and you carry it into the kitchen. “Let me know next time you want to visit, though. It’ll give me time to clean up.”

“Oh - I don’t mind at all! You are much neater than I am, my dear, please don’t worry.” Koro-sensei follows you, glancing around your modest apartment in a polite fashion. “I do enjoy your method of decorating, by the way.”

“Thanks. I just kinda throw shit around and pray it doesn’t look weird.”

Suddenly self conscious, you mindlessly wash a couple other dirty dishes while you chat with Koro-sensei. He drifts from one end of your small kitchen to another with almost childlike curiosity, asking questions and commenting accordingly.

He returns to your side after a few comfortable beats of silence. He surveys your spice rack, the reminders you have tacked up on the corkboard next to them, and the small calendar beside that.

“Oh, what’s this on Wednesday? You have a… Meeting? From eight in the morning to ten?”

“Yeah. Gotta talk with my clients about how we’re gonna take you down.”

“Really?” Green stripes wind around his head. “Are you perhaps going to make an attempt sometime tonight?”

You snort. “Hell no. I can’t have you busting up my apartment.”

“No? You don’t have a whole plan laid out? You could very well seduce me at a moment’s notice!”

“Nope. Don’t got anything like that.” You laugh. “Should you really be telling the enemy that you’re easily seduced, or?”

“Au contraire, my dear! I am only trying to protect myself from your sex appeal!”

“What the _fuck_ ,” You crush the sponge in your hand, turning to stare wild eyed at your colleague. “Are you _talking_ about? Did you come over here expecting to get boned?”

His head attempts to fuse the flushed pink with green stripes, lighting him up like a holiday ornament. “Oh, well, if you are offering…!”

Nevermind you assassinating him - Koro-sensei would undoubtedly be the death of you. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you, don’t take the bait, etcetera; you repeated those phrases before and you will repeat them now (though, it is a little different now that he knows of and reciprocates your feelings). You settle for forcing a knowing smile, turning back to your initial task.

You catch him eyeing your chest as you wash more dishes. You can’t blame him; this was an awfully thin tank, and you used it as a nightshirt because of it. If you were anywhere else, you’d get flustered immediately - being in the comfort of your own home, however, it didn’t feel like an issue. Though he still ignited that flame in your stomach, it was at least manageable in your own domain. You could do manageable.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Sensei, but I’m not really feeling it tonight.” You lie as you dry a plate. “Plus, I don’t think you know what you’re asking for, there.”

“Oh, don’t I?” Koro-sensei pipes up, sidling just a bit closer to you.

“Yeah,” You give a small smile, eyeing the plate before placing it back in the cabinet. You have to lean over a little to do so and you feel your breasts sway with the effort. Koro-sensei catches the motion and blatantly, openly stares as you lean against the counter, crossing your arms underneath your chest. “You don’t.”

He’s extremely polite and forward, so of course he would look directly at the person he is speaking to, even in an informal environment. Before your rendezvous with him, you always assumed he treated you like everyone else - politely, but not like you were extremely special. Now, though, it becomes almost painfully clear that he has checked you out. Multiple times. He’s doing it right now. Damn, sometimes you could be _so_ dense.

The silence that settled then was so pregnant with tension and desire that you think it could have suffocated you long ago, if this arrangement was still incredibly new and if you had been anywhere else. Maybe that’s how you fell so hard into your first coupling with him; that tension, the mere suggestion of ‘perhaps…’, combined with the classroom that he taught in and loved so dearly. Maybe this would be your chance to seduce him, in your own domain, with your own tension…

No. No, not this time… As much as you wanted to be with him again, it was too soon. Too _easy_ , almost.

Plus, you both had school in the morning. He did say the students came first, after all.

“Anyway,” You finally break the silence, sighing and turning away from him to walk in the direction of your bedroom. “Don’t you have lesson plans to make up, Koro-sensei? Let’s call it a night, yeah?”

It’s as if a switch was flipped: Koro-sensei, who had been looming over you with the same air from that night, so imposing and sexually charged, blinks his beady eyes at you before an embarrassed flush crossed under his eyes.

“Oh, goodness - forgive me for being so forward! I completely lost track of time! You are correct, I must be on my way!” He dashes to the door in no time, despite being so close to it already.

You have half a mind to let him go, even though the other half so desperately wants him to stay. You want to seduce him into coming to bed with you and staying the night after all, and you almost do. You almost pull him back into your personal space by his hand, but you reel yourself in as best as you can. You settle for a wave.

“Yeah. Have a good night, Koro-sensei. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Your colleague beams at you, composure already seeping back into his expression. “Sweet dreams, my dear.” And then he’s gone in a blur of yellow and black, leaving you alone with your restless desire.

—

“Professor? You’re nodding off again.”

You don’t lift your head from it’s place resting on your hand, instead blinking at the teenagers staring incredulously at you. You wonder how they can feel so awake and be so bright-eyed at 10am; were you that active as a teen? You don’t ever remember getting up without some difficulty. You figure kids today must be a whole lot stronger than you were.

“‘M not nodding off.” You mumble, motioning at Kayano, who had asked. “This is an assassination tactic. Purposefully let your guard down so your target won’t see you as a threat.” A yawn breaks through your joke and attracts the attention of the being at the front of the class.

“Professor!” Koro-sensei shouts. “Are you distracting my students?!”

“Nah. They’re distracting me from my nap, though.”

“You shouldn’t be napping at all!” The octopus is before your group in an instant, tentacles on his hips. Or, what you assume are his hips. “It does not do for a professional to sleep on the job. You are setting a bad example!”

“Bad example of what? A teacher or an assassin? Are you sayin’ you want them to grow up like me?”

“Not if this is how you’re going to act at your job! Students, don’t let them distract you any more - P.E. is about to begin! You don’t want to keep Karasuma-sensei waiting, do you?”

There’s a chorus of ‘no, Koro-senseiiiii’ around the room as the students clamor into friend groups, some heading to the locker rooms to change into workout clothes while others hung back to chat idly. Another yawn breaks past your lips and you stand, moving to the staff room. It was true - you didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night. You already had a mild case of insomnia and that coupled with thoughts of what would have happened if you made Koro-sensei stay the night kept you up into the early hours.

Maybe you could get a quick nap in… Irina and Karasuma could handle the octopus for an hour, right?

A stern voice calls after you just as you step into the staff room, then a door slams. Maybe not.

“What?” You growl at your colleague. His tentacles are crossed and he stands ramrod straight, like a parent ready to scold their child.

“Don’t think you can shake me so easily!” He snaps.

You sprawl out over the couch, attempting to make yourself comfortable against the aged armrest. “Don’t flatter yourself. You _know_ I can’t.”

Koro-sensei’s expression, then, if you had your eyes open to see it, would have made your heart ache. “You really should be getting your rest, my dear.” He tuts. You crack an eye open just as he seats himself at his usual spot, gearing up to grade the quizzes he had handed out at the beginning of the day.

“I know, I know.” You sigh, stretching your arms above your head and making a small sound. You drop your voice to a mumble. “I’d have an easier time of it if you weren’t in my head 24/7, but whatever…”

Though he had begun to grade the papers, tentacles moving at lightning fast speeds, Koro-sensei’s face pulls around a dastardly grin. “Ah, I thought that was the case! I could practically smell it on you.”

You stare at him in indifferent silence as the words settle on your ears. “... _Excuse_ me?”

His expression shifts back to normal, continuing to grade papers, only nodding his head slightly in response.

You abruptly stand and rush to his side, attempting to grab a tentacle out of midair, your expression fiery, a forced grin pulling at your mouth. “Are you _smelling_ me?”

Koro-sensei laughs, the tentacle easily evading your grasp. “I don’t mean any offense, my dear! On the contrary; I can’t help it, seeing as my sense of smell is much stronger than yours. But yes, I can smell you. It is a wonderful scent, in fact! Like freshly cut wood and pine…”

He sighs dreamily, resting his head in his hand. Your heart clenches painfully at the idea that he feels like that about your _smell_ , of all things.

“That also extends to… _other_ things, as well.” That same wicked grin when he meets your eye. “I can smell your arousal, my dear. Granted, it was a bit stronger last night, but still.”

You feel the heat rise to your face, reaching dangerous, volcanic levels in seconds, realizing the implications behind that line - he must know how often he turned you on, even before you confessed. You also realize, with both dismay and elation, how fucking _into_ this you are. “Then - All th -”

“I know what you’re thinking!” Koro-sensei’s singsong tone breaks through your thoughts. “For starters: no, I did not register that the scent was you being… _Interested_ in me. A couple times I did assume, but I had chalked it up to our lovely Irina-sensei and her attraction to our Karasuma-san. If you had been more obvious about your feelings for me, then maybe I would have realized sooner.” You visibly relax, saved from your own mortification.

“ _Secondly_ ,” Koro-sensei purrs. “I think I am more than well acquainted with your scents, so I am aware of what you must have gotten up to last night, if this morning is any indication.” If he had a brow, he would be wiggling it suggestively. You quickly go back to being mortified, covering your mouth with your hand and looking away.

“I thought so!” He laughs. “You _must_ have been up late, then. My apologies. Finally,”

You shift your gaze back to him and wonder how the hell else he could embarrass you more than he already has today. You almost leap out of your skin when you feel a light pressure against your lower back, turning to see a tentacle pressing you forward. The already meager distance between you and Koro-sensei closes with ease. He leans into you, looking up into your eyes, gently pulling your hand away from your mouth. His words spill like honey from his throat, and you feel, again, that he truly will be the death of you.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“ _Fuck_ ,” You gasp, breathless, your head feeling light and heated. “How are you so good at this?”

Koro-sensei shivers and his eyelids (or lack thereof) flutter. “I’m only speaking the truth.”

Though just a hair away from touching you, you can still feel his tentacles hovering around your body; beside your wrists, your shoulders, around your ankles and exposed calves. The only physical touch is his hand, still holding yours, and his breath on your lips. Any closer and you could kiss him - you want to taste his tongue, feel him against your skin, sink into him until he is all you know, his name the only words on your mouth.

“ _HEY!!_ ”

You move so quickly that you get mild whiplash. Koro-sensei tears away from you the second the shout rips through the air, and he’s already back to grading papers as you catapult yourself face first into the couch, flipping over to right yourself in what you _hope_ is the most casual resting position you can manage. It’s not until you both are settled into your faux normal states that you realize the exclamation wasn’t directed at you at all.

“Karasuma-sensei!! Terasaka lost our volleyball in the woods!!”

“No I frickin’ didn’t, you little pest! I didn’t even _touch_ it!”

“Yeah ya did, it bounced off your fat head.”

“ _What didja say?!!?_ ”

Both you and Koro-sensei exhale loudly, your forms relaxing instantly in your seats. A laugh bubbles up from your throat, your hand slapping over your face in relieved embarrassment. “Shit.”

Your colleague, however, has his head buried in his hands, a pink blush dusting his cheeks. “Goodness me,” He whimpers. “Maybe this is more risky than we thought.”

“Nah,” You wave your hand at him, yawning. “We’ve got it. We just have to be more careful, you know? Not get so into it at work.” With the sexually charged energy quickly dispersing, the sleepiness settled back into your body; the room was comfortably warm, a light breeze wafting in from the open window. The sounds of the students continuing their class were dulled to a buzz, a mess of shouts and feet hitting the ground. Your eyelids flutter closed.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Koro-sensei sighs. He moves onto material for the next class - you still hear him moving at his enhanced speed, but you note it’s less noisy than before. The sounds of the world around you and the feel of his comforting presence lull you into a half-asleep daze, summer-y and content.

You know an hour has passed when you hear Koro-sensei shuffling a bit more than usual; you hear the shift of his robes as he stands, the stacking of papers. The clamor of the students outside has also died down, and the building’s old floors creak down the hall near the door to the locker rooms. A mess of voices approach, moving into the classroom. Karasuma and Irina are mixed in with them, the students animatedly answering them. You turn your head slightly when Koro-sensei moves towards the door to leave.

“Hey,” You call after the cephalopod.

Koro-sensei halts, his robes shifting as he turns to regard your resting form.

“Um. If you ever wanna know what I was up to last night,” You bite your lip in an attempt to mask your grin. “Feel free to drop in any time.”

Silence. His expression could be anything at that moment; contempt, annoyance, elation. You have a feeling it’s the third option - his chuckle confirms your suspicion. “I may just take you up on that, Professor.”


	2. all i love, washing on my hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOOOL sorry about the massive delay... i'm the slowest writer alive. i hope you enjoy anyhow! 
> 
> chapter title is a lyric from GAMBA by BROCKHAMPTON!

The hallway seems to stretch on forever, ceilings high with the brightest fluorescent lights money could buy. You had seen only a couple other people on your trek to work today; typical for a Wednesday morning at seven thirty, even if it was a government building. It is almost completely silent save for your heavy footsteps reverberating off the walls. You take a sip of your coffee, stopping at an oak door and turning the knob, heading inside. 

There are several people in the large office, all men, all suited up, all with imposing looking eyewear, save for one steely eyed familiar face.

“Hey! Karasuma-san!” You clap your coworker on the shoulder, despite the look of displeasure and annoyed grunt. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“I was just leaving, Professor.” He mumbles and turns to the door.

“A’ight. I’ll see ya later?”

Karasuma makes a noncommittal grunt and disappears out the door. You turn to the group of suits and idly sip your coffee, zeroing in on another person without eyewear: an elderly gentleman seated at a great birch desk. A politician and your employer.

“Good to see you, Agent.” He raises a wrinkled hand to you, smiling politely. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

You acknowledge him with a nod and continue to nurse your drink. He turns to the man to his immediate left and talks in a hushed tone - you pick up something about scientists, labs, the like. After a couple minutes, you zone out a little.

You’d seen all of these men in suits before; they all tried to look the same, but they had their personal quirks and mannerisms that they couldn’t shake. They acted as identifiers for you because you didn’t know any of their names. The man currently nodding to your employer had a nasty habit of picking at his hangnail. Your employer says one final thing before he nods, standing to his full height.

“Do you have any updates?” The man turns to you, as robotic as ever.

There it is. You adopt a more professional attitude; squaring your shoulders and widening your stance just slightly. “The students are uncovering more of his weaknesses every day. He’s still a difficult target, but he’s not completely invincible, so -“

“Are you also taking that information to heart?”

“I - what? Yes, of course I am. What kind of question is that?”

“Leave them alone, they know what they’re doing. Is that how you treat a trained assassin? Pathetic.” The politician waves off the bodyguard, who simply bows to him and apologizes. “Don’t mind him. I believe you.”

“I don’t,” You reply, wondering why the large man didn’t bow and apologize to you, but whatever. “I specialize in immobilizing targets anyway. I’m meant to capture them and bring them to a set destination. It’s been awhile since I’ve had to outright kill one.” You shoot a look around at the gentlemen clad in black, all standing stock still around the room. “That don’t mean I can’t do it, though.”

“Ah, I see.” Mr. Politician nods, looking genuinely interested. “Difficult to immobilize a target you can’t even catch, though. Right?”

“More or less.”

He laughs jovially. “I have faith in you. You can catch and bring the fucker down, I just know it. I trust you have your written report?”

You turn in your mission report and begin conspiring with the men about possible ways to take out Koro-sensei. The majority of them had only seen videos and pictures of him, and while they had some useful outsider input, you had to keep shooting their ideas down simply because they wouldn’t fly with him. About a half an hour into it, they were becoming more than a little frustrated with the situation.

“It sounds to me like the majority of your information about this creature comes from the students.” A man with a small scar underneath his left ear points out. “Have  _ you  _ learned anything that they haven’t? You are a trained assassin, after all.”

“I spend as much time with him as the students do. I’ve picked up on some of his habits and movements after studying him on my own, but you should understand by now that working with your peers towards a solution is better than keeping to yourself.” Your lips pull around your teeth in a grimace. “They are able to spend more close time with him because he is their teacher and they catch onto things that would otherwise go under my radar. Teenagers are more intelligent than you give them credit for, and Class E is no different.”

The ear scar man shrinks slightly under your gaze, but another pipes up next to him. This one has a small cleft lip. “ _ Have  _ you learned anything on your own, though?”

“Of course,” You snap. “He is very confident in himself and his abilities, but he can be manipulated easily through flattery or overt criticism. I’m still thinking of ways to approach him with this information, as he is still hyper aware of his surroundings. For now, I plan to continue surveying him for any possible openings.” You purposefully avoid any details that would imply you’re more than a little acquainted with him; you were allowed to keep your own secrets. It’s not of their business, anyway.

The crowd of suited men grow quiet. The old man rests his chin on his folded hands, looking pensive and world weary already, even at nine in the morning. You empathize with him; you wanted nothing more than to be back in the classroom with the students and your fellow teachers. These men were beginning to infuriate you.

A tall, muscled man with stubby fingers and a broken nose clears his throat. “You mentioned that he is easily manipulated when met with flattery,” His voice is a lot smaller than you expected it to be, and you have to strain your ears to hear him properly. “Is it possible for you to get closer to him?”

“Keep your friends close, enemies closer, right?” Ear scar man pipes up.

“Precisely.” The broken nose one nods. “It will be difficult, since he knows you are an assassin, but no one is immune to kind words. You just have to be diligent.”

Everyone nods along with him, suggesting ways to get closer to the octopus and how to manipulate him. The urge to laugh becomes unbearable, and you feel the corner of your mouth twitch. These government men assuming your relationship with Koro-sensei was anything but deeply intimate… the irony was not lost on you.

Not that you were going to tell them anything about it. It wasn’t any of their business who you bedded, after all (even if is your target).

“It’s not a bad plan, but the means with which I kill him are for me to decide,” You announce once their chatter has died down. “It is worth a try, though it may take me a considerable amount of time to get that far.”

“Works for me,” The old man pipes up, smiling broadly. “Don’t drag your feet, though. The sooner you get him, the better. The whole world’s at stake here.”

_ I’m aware _ , you want to snap. The irritation has seeped into your expression, you think, because some of the suited men appear apprehensive. A part of you is thankful for that.

“Well, I suppose that wraps up our meeting.” The old man finally sighs, waving his hand nonchalantly. “Thank you for the information, Agent. Like I said, I have faith in you and your abilities - after all, there are what? Three trained assassins and a whole mess of trainees in that building, correct? There’s no way he’s getting out of there alive.”

_ Maybe so _ , A voice in your head mumbles. You bid the elderly man farewell and immediately make a beeline for the exit. Government buildings were never your favorites, even though a good seventy percent of your clients were politicians. They always felt too clean, too orderly, eyes everywhere. Plus the suited men already put you on edge - now you won’t be able to come in here without getting cranky. Annoying.

The way they talked about the students pissed you off, too. Maybe you were getting a little too attached.

_ Whatever.  _ You sigh once you’ve stepped outside, the stormy morning air filling your lungs and slightly chilling your skin. It wouldn’t do to dwell on it; you didn’t have to be back in there for a couple months unless they order you to. For now, you stride over to the pastry shop across the street, figuring everyone at the old building might need a pick-me-up.

—

The one day that you bothered to grab your umbrella, and you use it mostly to protect the massive box of donuts you bought for your students and coworkers. You didn’t mind, though; a little rain never hurt anybody, right? Even if it was downpouring and you’re one hundred percent sure you’re never going to get these sneakers dry again, doing something nice for your friends made your heart warm.

If you had been less preoccupied with keeping the confections dry, you would have noticed that something was different on campus, that there were at least two new presences in the building. For just a split second as you approach the door to the teacher’s lounge, you realize it - something new, something unfamiliar. Not threatening, but not super amicable, either. Well, whatever it is, you’re sure Karasuma and Irina will get you up to speed. You push the door open, balancing the box on your other hand.

“Heee~y, I got donuts!”

Irina and Karasuma both snap their heads to you as if you’d leapt out of the corner of the room and screamed at them. They don’t say anything. Not a great sign.

You raise a brow, pushing the door open wider. “What’s up with you gu -“

With the door fully open, you notice another person in the room. They look like a museum display came alive, with their fancy white robes and obscured face. They are also looking at you, tiny white eyelights shining underneath their headwear. You get a strange, unsettling feeling in your gut.

“Ah! Hello!” The person has a deep, reverberating voice. “I was wondering when the fourth professor would be arriving.”

He closes the distance between himself and you in a few long strides. “You may call me Shiro.” The man extends a hand to you.

“Oh, do we got codenames now? You can call me Noutou.” You grab his hand, being sure to show your teeth when you smile. “What brings ya here?”

The man laughs loudly. “ I have a new student for your class, and I escorted him here today. Thought I’d introduce myself to the staff while he gets settled in.” You can hear a smile in his voice. “And what do you teach, Professor Noutou?”

“I don’t have a specific subject, but I help where I can. Tending to the grounds, minding upkeep of the building. You know.”

He claps his gloved hands together. “Oh good, I’m glad there’s a groundskeeper! I’m afraid I have a small project for you already.”

“Excuse me?”

—

The ‘project’ is a giant hole in the classroom wall, with the creator of said hole being the smallest preteen boy you have ever seen.

Despite its size, the damage is contained to the edges of the hole; you could easily fix this after school. Until then, you opt to cover it with some loose boards of wood you found in the storage shed over lunch. You also gather intel on the new kid from the students.

“They’re  _ brothers _ ,” Nagisa whispers to you. “Or Itona claims to be, at least.”

You shift your eye to the short kid (who’s name is Itona, apparently). He’s stuffing his face with some sugary treat and skimming a nudie mag, flustering Koro-sensei to no end.

You grin, regarding the cephalopod at the front of the classroom. “Oi, oi, Sensei, if you guys are related, how come you ended up so funky looking?”

“ _ Hey! _ ” Several students giggle, both at your joke and his reaction. “I don’t need any lip from you today, Professor!”

You laugh, noting how his cheeks flush even further at your teasing, and turn back to Nagisa. “So, what do you think, little man? Do you believe Itona?”

“Well,” Nagisa glances at the other boy. “I’m not sure. They act almost exactly the same, and that Shiro guy also claimed they’re related, so… I guess? It’s hard to say.”

You hum, drilling the last nail into the board. You weren’t quite sure what to make of the white robed man yet - he gave you a weird feeling, and your instincts were usually correct. Not being able to read the guy was also part of it; people who hid their faces immediately made you nervous. Still, you turn back to Nagisa and give him a broad smile.  “Thanks for your input, little man. Did you get a donut, by the way?”

In order to quell your growing anxiety, you opted to hand out the treats to the class. You’d bought more than enough so that everyone could have a wide range to pick from - some (Itona and Karma, who took four and five, respectively) were a little more greedy than others (Kayano and Kanzaki opted for taking half of one, claiming they were watching their figures).

You end up at the front of the room with Koro-sensei, who was wringing his tentacles. A row of sweat was present on his brow, and he looked more than a little frazzled.

“Hey, lighten up a little,” You throw him a jelly filled donut and he yelps. “I assumed you would have been all over me the second you got a whiff of these.”

“Forgive me, Professor, I’m a little distracted at the moment,” The donut has barely disappeared into his maw before he reaches for another.

“Yeah, I can tell.” You watch as the majority of the confections disappear at mach 20. “Uh, what’s your consensus on the kid? Everyone else seems to think y’all are related, but…”

“I-I -” Koro-sensei stammers, coughing awkwardly into his fist. “I-It’s true, that we are similar, but…!”

You raise a brow and snort lightly, biting into a donut of your own before he can try snatching it from you. Your sightline lines up with Itona, who is sitting quietly still, munching on his own pastry.

“Things can’t possibly get any more weird,” you mumble.  

—

Incidentally, they can.

Itona possessing his own arsenal of tentacles is surprising, but the sheer amount of information that he and Shiro have on Koro-sensei’s varied weaknesses is something else.

You prided yourself on being able to anticipate some of Koro-sensei’s movements, but attempting to keep up with him and Itona is nauseating. A tension headache pulls between your eyes mere seconds after they’ve begun their dance, and you have to force yourself to look away to pinch the bridge. Irina notices, patting your back comfortingly.

“Hey, are you alright?” Her concern feels misplaced on your ears.

The ache disperses once you stop trying to follow their movements, and the noise of tentacles slicing through air at impossible speeds draws your eye back to the match.  “Yeah, no, I’m good. Just a headache.”

Shiro’s taunts aren’t helping, either, and his voice is grating on your ears. It’s irritating, listening to him prattle on about details everyone know about already - of course the man hiding outside the bounds of danger is the one who boasts the loudest.

It’s annoying, but Koro-sensei always comes out on top, if the angry edge in his voice is any indication. He’s angry about Itona’s abilities, and you note that it’s out of concern for the boy, not rage over him losing… Hm. What  _ were _ they, exactly…?

Watching the fight progress is somehow easier the longer you stare. You feel strangely grounded, somehow - Koro-sensei won’t lose to these guys. Sure, they have the advantage, but Koro-sensei doesn’t lose. Not easily, anyway.

A quick glance around the room shows you that the students also share your feelings - they’re anxious (some pale faces, even), but there’s a frustration warped with the anxiety, too. They must feel awful, you realize. They’ve worked so diligently to take this guy down, and for what? To have some guy wrapped in fancy clothes and an overpowered child snatch their victory from them? The same frustration has settled into your heart before you even realize.

But, true to your earlier prediction, Koro-sensei turns the fight around. Nabbing the students’ knives and using those to trip Itona up is sneaky. After throwing the boy out through a window, safely wrapped in his mucus, he shouts a triumphant (if not a little childish) ‘I win!’. If he has the strength to insult someone, then he must be fine. In your head you allow yourself a sigh of relief.

The feeling disappears with the appearance of Itona’s rage-blackened tentacles, and your instincts kick into overdrive. You drag a couple students out of their rage, winding on the young man to see him barreling straight at Koro-sensei.

Before you have a chance to act, there’s a soft ‘pop’ and Itona falls flat on his back. Tense and still with a nasty expression, but knocked out. Shiro appears in your peripheral and you leap away from him.

“Don’t worry, Professor Noto, Itona is under no danger.” He assures, though you feel anything but. “It’s not lost on me that this is his first day, but a mandatory vacation is clearly in order.”

“Yeah?” You reply. “Seems to me he needs a vacation from whatever the hell you did to give him the tentacles.”

“Mm, your concern is appreciated but unwarranted. Itona is perfectly safe in my care.”

“‘Scuse me?” You widen your stance just slightly, like a predator about to pounce. However, you catch Koro-sensei’s eye just then - he gives you a look, and all intent to stir something up dies in your throat.

“I can’t let you walk out of here with him; he is my student.” The cephalopod snaps. “Until graduation, his well-being falls on me. And, frankly, I do have a lot of questions to ask  _ you, _ Mr. Shiro.”

“Sorry,” Shiro makes his way towards the door. “We’re leaving. Unless you care to use force?”

Even as Koro-sensei tries and fails to stop the man, with his anti-sensei fibers, the adrenaline in your system fails to be quelled.  _ Fancy fibers won’t stop me, _ you reason.  _ I could easily have that guy restrained. He can’t be hiding too much under that getup, can he? _

When he bids farewell, the tone in his voice has you seeing red. You hardly register what he says before he has disappeared down the hall. A light chatter rises among the students after several beats of uncharacteristic silence, rising to a natural level, then ending at a clamor as they discuss what just transpired. One by one, your muscles relax. The students you had rescued - Chiba and Maehara - thank you with a deep bow. They insist, even as you claim it was no problem.

Then you turn to Koro-sensei, who is standing at the hole in the window, staring stock still out at the yard. You cautiously approach him.

“You were real noble and all back there, but did ya really need to break another wall?” Koro-sensei squeaks at your tone, standing ramrod straight.

“I-I’m deeply sorry, Professor! I didn’t mean to add to your workload!” He disappears and reappears with all the building tools he could grab from the storage shed. “Please, allow me to help you!”

“Nah, don’t stress it,” You grin amicably, grabbing the unnecessary tools from his grasp (which included a whole chainsaw?). “I think the kids wanna talk to you, anyway. I’m sure they got questions.”

You step aside as Koro-sensei is crowded by students, grilling him for answers while praising him in the same breath. You make a beeline for the hallway when a familiar feeling settles over your back - not unlike that of a predatory animal sizing up a competitor.

“Hey, Professor,” Karma bounded up to you, mouth curled around his tiny snaggletooth. “You alright? You looked a little pale watching Koro-sensei and his bro go at it.”

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks for asking, though.” You shoot him a wry smile. Nothing went over this kid’s head, and you’re  _ sure  _ he knows that something has changed between you and Koro-sensei. He probably doesn’t know of the exact nature of the change, though, and that’s enough for you. “How about you? Were ya worried you wouldn’t get a crack at killing ‘Sensei again?”

The faint memory of Karma’s (mostly) despondent expression disappears the second he shoots you a toothy smile. “Not at all! I’m meant to kill him, you know. He wouldn’t lose to a guy like that.”

“That’s the spirit!” You laugh jovially, patting him on the shoulder, even as he flinches. “Don’t lose that ambition of yours, kiddo.”

Karma makes a face, but doesn’t say anything else. Instead, he integrates himself into the crowd of students surrounding Koro-sensei, who has his head buried in his tentacles.

He berates himself for breaking his jokey persona. The students berate him for taking himself so seriously. In the clamor and chaos of the classroom, you drop the tools into a side closet and slip unnoticed into the schoolyard.

\--

You dash across the yard with barely a sound, save the muted squish of the mud underneath your boots. The tracks leading into the woods were still visible despite the heavy rainfall, and you survey them like a hawk would a field mouse. They follow the path to a T, ever forward and even, and once you hit the treeline you begin eyeing the area around them for anything noticeable.

But there is nothing else, save for the footprints. And even then, they, too, disappear completely. They end abruptly in the middle of the path, and you leap into the large tree beside them. The bark on the branch above is scuffed, like an armored shoe had pushed off of it. You follow this to another nearby branch, the marks guiding you further down the mountain before they disappear completely. You search the ground underneath the last skuff and found nothing. You retrace your steps back, eyeing the path and the underbrush for anything of note, and have the same result.

Whoever this Shiro character is, he knows what he’s doing. You’re not sure if you’re more frustrated with that or your own failure to track him properly.

Despite the cold trail, you scour the area for several more minutes in a vain attempt to warm it again. Nothing. Your worry for Itona blooms in your chest, much like the worry you felt when the students faced their exams or anyone from main campus - a worry that grew from empathy and shared experience. Adults could be so callous. 

You ponder this as you slink back to the schoolyard. The rain lets up just a bit, dying down to a light sprinkle; the clouds are still heavy and grey, but their presence is a stalwart and comforting one.

Stepping in through the doors, you realize the clamor has not died down. You turn to your left to spot the usual suspects chatting animatedly to each other. Isogai is the first to notice you, and waves you over.

“Hey,” You try for an easy smile. “What’s got you guys riled up?”

We found out Koro-sensei’s an artificial lifeform. Er, confirmed it, at least.” Maehara replies. “That’s it, though. He wouldn’t explain how, or why, or any sort of details.”

“Yeah! It’s really frustrating, but kinda exciting, too!” Kurahashi pipes up. “We just have to find out for ourselves, with our own abilities.”

Your easy smile turns to an endeared one, gaze roving over the group of students - despite almost seeing their target taken out by someone else, their resolve and optimism warms your heart.

“Speaking of abilities,” Isogai says, catching your attention. “Professor, would you help us become better assassins? We asked Karasuma-sensei earlier, but two professional assassins teaching us is much better than just one.”

Oh. “Huh, you sure you want that? You kids are my competition. You think I’m gonna teach you the tricks of my trade, after all the years I spent honing my skills?” They look so crestfallen until you say, “‘Cause I will. I’m gonna turn y’all into the best damn assassins around.”

Your confirmation is so dry that it takes a moment for your words to sink in. When they do, your heart swells with how the students’ eyes light up, their smiles blinding. “Thank you  _ so _ much, Professor!” Kurahashi is the first to bound forward and crush you in a hug, the others following until you’re covered in teens.

It’s not long after that the students all disperse, making their long way down the mountain to their homes. You collect the tools and materials you need to fix up the building in no time and get straight to work.

Mending the walls will take roughly two hours, but it’s time you’d rather spend on this over anything else. The poor condition of the building shocked and annoyed you from the moment you stepped foot on the campus, and since Koro-sensei is a nigh impossible target, you focused on groundskeeping when you weren’t trying to assassinate him. You could call construction a hobby, at this point, if only because fixing things felt nice. It felt good to repair a student’s creaky desk or a leaky faucet in the bathrooms, and huge holes in the wall were no different.

“You don’t have to do that,” Karasuma advises when he sees you cleaning the edges of debris. “The government isn’t paying you to take care of property damages.”

“I mean, besides helpin’ the kids and keeping an eye on the octopus, there’s not a whole lot else for me to do.” You answer. “Plus, if I have the skills, might as well put them to good use.”

He makes one of his noncommittal grunts. The both of you stand in silence for a second past the point of politeness and you turn to face him. “What’s up? You need anything else?”

Karasuma blinks once. “I would also advise you to keep your feelings in check. I saw you run after that man after he left.”

“Don’t tell me you’re fine with that.” You growl. “Whatever they did to that kid is despicable. Of course I’m going to oppose it.”

“Opposition isn’t in your contract.” Karasuma replies, emotionless. “You don’t have to work with him or the kid. He was hired just like you were, and I expect you to treat him like you would myself or Irina.”

You want so badly to do the opposite and rage against this as much as you like, but you opt for a glare, holding down the board and drilling with a little more force than necessary (without actually splitting the wood, of course (almost)).

Karasuma, taking your silence as confirmation, departs from the room without another word. You scowl at the place where he stood, the irritation rising in your head for the umpteenth time today. It seems like everything and everyone was hellbent on making you as cross as possible. The worst part was it was  _ working _ , and that angers you more than anything else.

A dash of yellow and black and Koro-sensei is at your side in an instant. He eyes your progress with interest. “You are so talented, my dear! I would have never pegged you for such a handyman.”

His praise makes your cheeks warm and the cloud of rage in your head disperses slightly. “I studied a bit of woodworking in school. Not my strongest suit, but I enjoy it.”

Koro-sensei angles his head so he’s looking at you. “Regardless, I appreciate you taking the time to touch up the campus.” He smiles, the edges of his mouth wrinkling slightly. “It may not seem like it, but it helps with the students’ morale.”

You send him your own smile. “It’s no problem, ‘Sensei. It’s the least I can do.”

A comfortable silence settles between you and the octopus. You woodwork and he watches with polite, rapt attention.

“How have you been, Professor?” He asks.

You don’t have to ask what he means to know that he’s talking about your mental state. “Um, I’m pretty good. Hangin’ in there. Coming out here and seeing Irina and Karasuma and the kids and,”  _ You. _ “And everyone, it’s helping. I don’t feel so useless, I guess.”

Koro-sensei nods gently. You think back to your meeting - what would those men say if they knew how close you’d become with your target? You still felt that you were overestimating the gravity of your relationship with him, but talking frankly about your mental health with him certainly broke at least one rule of assassination. “Have you decided to stay with us, then?”

You smile, drilling one last nail into the wall, leaning back to admire your handiwork. The new wood stood out from the others - brighter, more sleek. You’d have to coat it in a layer of finish to get them to blend together properly. “Yeah. I’m staying.”

His head glows in the evening light, reminiscent of that night two weeks ago. “I’m so pleased to hear that, my dear.”

\--

When you arrive home, your phone vibrates with a call from your employer’s secretary. They reiterate your next course of action for the coming months - keep an eye on the target, study him, don’t be risky but don’t waste an opportunity, yadda yadda. It’s all things you’ve heard before and it sours your already dour mood considerably, even though they’re just doing their job.

At the end of the call, you hang up without saying goodbye and stare at the scratches etched into your dining table. The sudden nosedive in your spirit makes everything seem like a hassle - you’re hungry, but you don’t want to make dinner or call for takeout. You feel disgusting, but you’d be staring at nothing and stewing in rage in your shower, too. None of your favorite shows sounded the least bit interesting. You haven’t enjoyed a book in months.

The scratches remain, staring back at you.

You think of Koro-sensei for a brief, fleeting moment, and then the mood amplifies tenfold. You’re suddenly awash in a violent sadness and disappointment, realizing how despicable you must seem, how much he would pity you - whether good or bad, you’re not sure which upsets you more.

You sit in silence, your thoughts raging like a stormy sea in your head. Combined with that, the white noise feels deafening on your ears; it grows louder, to earth shattering levels. Faintly, there’s the tinkling of the windchime through the balcony doors as a light breeze jostles it. The white noise, though it doesn’t die down, drops to a dull hum.

You inhale. Count to five with slow, deep breaths. Take it easy, one issue at a time, now…

Instead of making something complicated or risking talking to other people, you throw a couple cups of rice into the rice cooker - it’ll be awhile, but that gives you time to calm down in the shower. You play a couple of your favorite songs and preoccupy yourself with scrubbing your skin and hair, muscles warming under the hot spray.

By the time you’ve gotten out of the shower and changed into comfortable clothes, your rice is half done. The pile of dishes in the sink stares you down, and you make short work of them. You light a candle, open a couple windows, and scroll through your phone in the meantime.

The rice, once done, is fluffy and pleasantly warm. There’s a bottle of your favorite sauce in the fridge and some leftovers that you almost forgot about. Mixed together, it’s not the best meal you’ve ever had, but the smell and taste is so comforting to your exhausted mind and body that you can’t bring yourself to mind.

Of course, there’s still an incessant nagging in the back of your mind that not all is well, but that’s all it is - nagging. You’d choose nagging over thunderously bad thoughts  _ any  _ day.

You go about your free time at a sluggish but driven pace. Sometimes you linger on your phone a little too long, but you clean small parts of your apartment and listen to some good music in between. Once the afternoon blends into early evening, you settle on a pillow at the low table in your living area with a cup of tea, cracking open a book you hadn’t picked up in months. It takes you a moment to find where you last left off and you don’t quite remember all the details, but you settle into it comfortably enough. The minutes tick by.

You hear the wind chime hanging above your balcony, quiet and gentle. Then, a light tap-tap-tap at the doors.

The nervous flutter of your heart grows as you stand to pull the curtains aside, revealing Koro-sensei’s looming figure, a long finger poised against the glass. His smile widens when he meets your eye - you sigh with an exasperated smile.

“I thought I told you to use the other door.” You chide, sliding the glass open anyway.

“You did, but I find this way to be so much more romantic!” Koro-sensei disappears and reappears behind you, surveying your living area like he hadn’t visited less than a week ago. “Forbidden lovers, meeting by moonlight… Unable to be apart from each other for even a day…”

The bark of a laugh that rises from your mouth startles the both of you. “Can you really call our arrangement ‘romantic’?” You sit at the low table, closing your novel and laying it in the center.

“Maybe not in the  _ traditional _ sense, but there is a certain allure to it. Don’t you think so?”

You purse your lips. “Eh. I guess?  Anyway, I boiled some water earlier, you want tea?”

“Oh yes! That sounds delightful!”

Koro-sensei makes himself comfortable while you grab him his drink - when you asked what flavor tea he wanted, he chirped a ‘surprise me!’, so you settled on an extremely orange-y blend. If his delighted expression at the taste is any indication, you think you made a good choice.

“So,” Koro-sensei’s voice drops to a dastardly level. “How was your meeting? Any progress?”

“Oh, yeah, lots.” You smirk. “You’d better watch your back, ‘Sensei, ‘cause a storm’s a-comin’.”

He giggles excitedly. “I look forward to it! After today, I’m so eager to see what you and the students have in store!”

“Yeah? A glutton for punishment, aren’t ya? Er, glutton for… assassination attempts, I should say.” You take a swig of your tea. “So, is Itona formally joining the class? I know that Shiro character carried him off, but,” You fuss with the pages of the novel. “I was gettin’ a little endeared to the kid.”

Koro-sensei hums quietly, sipping his tea. “Nothing concrete, but I believe this won’t be the last time we see young Itona. I became quite attached to him, too.”

“But that’s just your personality,” You chide fondly. “You’re attached to  _ all _ the students.”

“But of course! Who wouldn’t be attached to such bright eyed, intelligent youth?”

“You’d be surprised,” You mumble into your tea, staring out into the starry sky. “Hate to say it, ‘Sensei, but you’re kinda one of a kind.”

The cephalopod also gains a sort of somber distance in his eye as he, too, nurses his drink. The silence settles like a heavy, almost awkward blanket among you, and you regret speaking at all.

“S-So, uh, what you got going on tonight? I’m kinda in the mood to party, if you know of any nearby…” You chuckle dryly under his eye (how can two small white dots effect you so??).

“Oho! No, I don’t know of any parties, my dear. I don’t have anything going on, actually, seeing as I finished the next lesson plan earlier today…” In an uncharacteristic manner, he trails off, still looking at you expectantly.

You go to break eye contact by drinking your tea and quickly realize that your cup is empty. The air feels heavier, suddenly. “That so? It’s unlike you to not have something going on.”

“But that is why I visited you tonight,” Koro-sensei’s voice has toned down quite a bit, and his cheeks take on a familiar shine. “I am interested in the, ah, proposition you made last week… if the offer is still available.”

You blink, remembering nothing about a propositi - oh. Oh, yeah.  _ That  _ proposition. You go to sip your tea again and are reminded - again! - that it is empty. You didn’t… You didn’t think he’d be back so  _ soon _ . With your weird almost-breakdown earlier, you didn’t think you would want to do anything like that tonight. But his interest did stir something in you, and the fact that he returned so quickly (of his own volition, even!) made your heart flutter in a way you didn’t want to acknowledge.

The silence lasts a little too long and Koro-sensei looks even more flushed as he stands abruptly. “P-Perhaps I was mistaken, yes, I think I missed something earlier! Apologies, my dear, but if you’ll excuse me -”

“No, no, wait -” You also stand quickly and reach for a tentacle, trying not to seem too needy and probably failing. You just didn’t want to waste this precious time, damn it!! “The offer is still on the table, yeah.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah… I, uh,” You shift your weight between your legs, gathering all of your sex appeal and allure into one heated gaze, one husky sentence: “There’s something I want to show you, Koro-sensei.”

“O _ -Oh _ ?!?”

Ah, you missed his flustered face more than you realized. The apprehensiveness moments earlier fades the longer you spend leaning into him - his proximity is bringing back some pleasant memories. You weren’t completely sure if he’d be into what you had in mind, but seeing him like this was reward enough. You lean into him a little more, channeling Irina’s seductive prowess and pressing your chest against his robes. “Would you mind joining me in my bedroom tonight?”

“F-For what?” He whimpers, eyes blown a little wide, looking more than a little starstruck.

You giggle at him. “You’ll see. Though I’m sure you have a clue already…” Assuming he’s been paying attention, he must smell something very familiar...

As if on cue, Koro-sensei’s eyes widen a fraction. Another ‘oh’, this time meek and small; his eyes rove over your face and shoulders, then dart around the room anxiously. The smooth tentacle in your hand is familiarly cool, your palms already heated in anticipation as you guide your colleague into your room.

Your bedroom is modestly furnished, comprising of a small closet, an old television sitting on an even older desk with a chair to match, and a full bed at the center of it all. You gesture to this piece of furniture to Koro-sensei. “Sit in the center of the bed for me, okay?”

He nods, still silent as he kneels on the plush surface, beady eyes anxiously trained on you.

“What? Don’t tell me this is your first time in somebody else’s room.” You chastise gently, a mischievous smile pulling at your lips.

His mouth drops open and he splutters. “I -  _ You _ \- O-Of  _ course  _ this isn’t my first time in someone else’s room!! Why, I -“

A laugh bubbles up and out of your mouth as he shouts at you, tentacles flailing wildly but still remaining seated. Your body wrecked with giggles, you bend over and tug at the waistband of your shorts, sliding them down your legs and flinging them across the room.

Koro-sensei clams up instantly, his mouth still agape, sweat beading in droves atop his head as you saunter up to the bed and crawl next to him. You position yourself so that you are lying comfortably on your pillows and blankets, with your legs spread around Koro-sensei’s sitting form.

Your colleague manages to find his voice, and he weakly stutters, “Wh-What… What are you doing?”

You don’t answer him right away, adjusting a pillow underneath your head and sighing contentedly. “Getting comfortable. You wanted to see what I get up to, right?”

Koro-sensei gulps. His jaw finally closes.

“If you don’t want to stay, then of course you don’t have to.” You drop your sexy voice for just a moment. “You can leave right now, if you like.”

“No, no, no,” He shakes his head into a pink blur. “I most certainly want to stay!”

“Sweet,” Your heart flip flops excitedly and your voice drops low again; Koro-sensei visibly shivers . “My only condition is this: you aren’t allowed to touch me until I say so, okay?”

For a moment, you think steam will start puffing out of his head with how pink he’s become. Still, he nods gently, and you smirk up at him.

A bit of anxiety worms its way into your heart, but there’s nothing he hasn’t seen before. You’d also never had an audience when you masturbated, but it was always something you wanted to try… Koro-sensei appears to be into it, though, which was very encouraging.

Normally, you’d shut your eyes so you could fantasize a little better, but you want to watch his reactions as you run a hand down the side of your neck. Your touch is feather light and it drags lazily down your collarbone, to the collar of your top, tracing along the fabric before smoothing over your chest in one broad stroke. The tank top pulls towards your hand, outlining the shape of your breasts and nipples for just a moment. Koro-sensei’s eyes widen a fraction.

“You should know that for comfort reasons, sometimes I don’t wear a bra.” His breath hitches. You can see the gears furiously working in his head, sweat beading on his brow.

“D-Do you, now?” His voice is shaky.

You nod, pulling the edge of your top up just enough to bare the underside of your breasts, but stopping just short of your nipples. Koro-sensei makes the softest sounds of protest, but he does nothing else to stop you.

“Do you wanna see?” You smile wryly up at him, almost laughing at how obediently he nods his head. His eyes had darted to meet yours when you spoke, but they immediately drag back to your breasts as you finally tug your shirt up and over them. Your nipples pebble in the cool air almost instantly, sensitive and soft underneath the calloused pads of your fingers.

Koro-sensei’s quiet whimper drowns out your own gasp at the contact, and you eye him incredulously; his gaze is trained on your chest, rising steadily with your breathing. It’s flattering, if not a little nerve wracking - you can tell that he’s committing your movements to memory.

You laugh lightly. “You look like you’ve never seen a naked person before.”

His eyes drag up to your face, sweat rolling down his head. “N-No, I am simply…” His gaze trails back down to your breasts and fingers, then to your other hand. You had started drawing circles into your stomach, descending at an unhurried but determined pace. “Observing.”

“Yeah?” You roll your nipple in between your fingers, tugging just slightly to make your breath hitch. “Learnin’ anything new?”

Koro-sensei is quiet for a beat, eyes darting from your hands, to your chest, your crotch, and finally back to your face. When he speaks, his voice is strained. “I am learning that you are  _ extremely _ unfair.”

“How do you figure that?”

You hear his tentacles shift slightly against your comforter. The space between his eyes crinkles just slightly. “Asking me not to touch you without your permission, then proceeding to masturbate?? This is torturous! I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy!”

A chuckle bubbles up from your throat. Your wandering hand traces the waistband of your underwear. “Aren’t you enjoying yourself? You were the one who wanted to know what I’d get up to after work, alone in this apartment…”

Koro-sensei goes quiet again.

You smile softly up at him. Your hand slides tantalizingly over your underwear, down to your thigh, your fingertips grazing his robes just slightly. “Y’know, despite seeing people all day, I’d get so lonely here at night, all by myself.”

The other hand strokes lazy circles around your areola. Your body is pleasantly warm. “I’d have to resort to my imagination more often than not, and no matter what I’d do, they would always -“ You lick your lips, your fingers darting dangerously close to your core. Your hips rise to chase after them and Koro-sensei watches, ever attentive. “-  _ always  _ go back to you, Koro-sensei.”

His cheeks blaze red. In the smallest voice, he whispers: “Do tell.”

“Oh, Sensei,” Your hand grows more bold, swiping your still clothed cunt to find that you’re soaking. “Where do I even begin?”

He whimpers. You relish in it.

“I can’t tell you how many times I just didn’t wear panties when I knew I’d be working with you.” Your fingers stroke along your inner thighs, blazing paths of heat down your skin. “It sounds a little desperate, but you’ve always had that effect on me, you know...:”

“Y-You… You really should be wearing all of your clothes, my dear.” Koro-sensei’s voice is strained and husky, making the scolding sound half hearted.

“Yeah? You gonna check to make sure I’ve got everything from now on?”

He makes an odd sound, deep in his throat. You grin.

A finger strays to your clothed cunt, stroking up and just barely avoiding your clit. You pull your lip into your teeth, twisting your nipple in time with another stroke. “It started to become a real hassle, you know? Undressing to find that I’d ruined yet another pair... It was frustrating.” Your motions and fantasizing felt familiar, but the presence of Koro-sensei’s watchful eye increased the feeling tenfold. “You weren’t catching on to how I felt, so I had to take matters into my own hands.”

You hear a soft, involuntary ‘oh’ from above you. It goes straight to your clit and you sigh. A finger swipes up your cunt one more time, curling around the waistband of the last article of clothing. Bending your legs closer to your body, you pull your underwear off and fling them onto the floor in one smooth motion.

Now completely naked, you trail your hand from knee to thigh, thigh to crotch, crotch to cunt, fingers spreading your lips and testing the wetness there. Having zoned out to your reminiscing earlier, you steal a glance at Koro-sensei.

Though he is making a valiant effort to remain composed, his jaw is slightly open, and he’s looking at your lips with a hunger so strong, it makes your breath hitch.

“The first time I felt attracted to you was, ah,” You swipe your clit lightly at the memory, your hips stuttering. “W-Was your first day teaching.”

Koro-sensei cocks his head, curiously leaning over you. He remains silent, but the interest is evident in his heated gaze.

You lick your lips. “I-I didn’t make myself kn-known yet, ‘cause I was tryin’ to study you. When you gave the ultimatum to the students, the look on your face, I -“ A finger taps your clit a little harder, your middle and ring finger gently dipping into your cunt. The pleasure heating your body was close to uncomfortable, but you wanted to draw this out for as long as you could - you slip your middle finger in to the first knuckle.

“I-I got so  _ hot _ ,” The second knuckle. “I-It just got worse from th-there…” Another swipe to your clit, lingering a little longer this time, and your hips buck again. “I kept thinkin’ about you, above me, all around m-me, fuckin’ me with that expression on your face.” A curse catches on the end of a moan.

You curl your fingers just how you like and cry out. “You don’t know what you do to me, Koro-sensei...”

His eyes dart to your cunt. You can hear how wet you are - you swear you can see his cheeks flush a little darker.

You swipe your finger over your clit again, this time letting it linger; the pleasure that spikes from it draws a strangled moan from your mouth. “Oh, Koro-sensei…”

Your other finger pushes inside your hole next to the other. They slide in tandem together, in and out, at a tantalizing pace. The octopus watches with rapt attention.

“I lost count of how many times I fantasized about you, about you making me come until I passed out, with your tentacles all over me, I -“ You cry out when the want becomes unbearable and your finger finally traces circles into your clit, the other appendages pumping in and out of your cunt. Despite your best efforts, your eyes screw shut. Koro-sensei’s ever present, unabashed gaze covers you like a blanket as your writhe upon your covers in a pleasurable haze, your hands diligently working you to your climax.

As opposed to your last sexual encounter with him, your orgasm comes to you with a soft moan, your back arched and head tossed to the side. It’s certainly not as intense as your last one with him, but it brings a wave of satisfaction and release. Your muscles relax and your body lies limp upon your plush sheets, safe and revered underneath Koro-sensei’s unwavering gaze.

Speaking of your paramour, you crack open an eye to look at him. His head shines bright pink, obediently sitting still, gaze heavy.

You swallow the lump in your throat and turn to face him head on. You felt so tender and vulnerable suddenly, though deep down you knew he would react favorably. “How was that?”

He blinks owlishly, silent for only a beat more. Then his eyes go lopsided with affection, perpetual grin spreading even wider across his face.

“Oh, you are  _ so _ lovely, my dear,” Koro-sensei purrs as he hovers over you. “I’m honored to have been a witness to this declaration of self love!”

You snort. “Self love?”

“Yes! Ah, excuse me for a moment.” He disappears and reappears with a towel from your bathroom, then begins to reach for your leg. He stops himself immediately though, sheepishly turning to look at you. “Do I have permission to touch you?”

“Oh yeah, sure.”

Koro-sensei wraps his tentacled hands around your thighs, lifting your hips to slide the towel underneath your ass and setting you back down. “I realized too late that I did not clean you up at our, um, coupling,” He explains, wiping down your crotch and inner thighs. “I do hope you weren’t too uncomfortable afterwards?”

Your heart flutters at his concern. “No, not at all. Thank you, Sensei, but you really don’t have to worry about it.”

His cheeks flush cutely. “Being the reason why you get so worked up in the first place, I feel at least partially responsible.”

You laugh jovially, stroking the globe of his head with your mostly-clean hand. “What were you saying about ‘self love’?”

“Ah, yes!” Koro-sensei pats your thigh. “Is there any greater form of self care than giving oneself an orgasm? I think not! Your self esteem worried me a little, but I can rest easier knowing you’re providing yourself with some much needed endorphins every now and then.”

“Feels better when you’re the one providing the endorphins, if I’m being honest.”

Koro-sensei ‘aw’s at you, leaning into your hand and covering it with his own. “I’m honored! No one knows your wants and needs better than yourself, though, so don’t ignore those urges. And don’t be afraid to make suggestions and talk to me, too! Every healthy relationship is all about communication.”

“You’re not wrong,” You tip your head in a coy fashion. “But why do I feel like I’m being lectured? Can’t you drop being an educator for a second, even in bed?”

Koro-sensei giggles cutely. “I can’t help it, my dear! I am a giver; I like to be sure the people in my life are well informed and, ah,  _ taken care _ of.”

His other hand gently takes the fingers that had been inside your cunt, still soaked with your juices. He holds it up to his mouth, his tongue slipping from between his teeth to weave between the digits, cleaning them of your cum. You gasp softly as he puts an excessive amount of effort into the task, suckling at the tips of your fingers one by one until he is satisfied.

Even then, though, he tenderly holds your hand to his cheek; there’s an unreadable expression in his eye as he glances over your tired, post orgasm form. “Ah, my dear, you are truly a sight to behold.”

“Aw shucks,” You wave your hand nonchalantly. “I’m just a guy trying to get their rocks off. Nothing too special about that.”

“Oh, no?” There’s the familiar feeling of smooth, rubbery appendages stroking down your sides as your paramour leans over you, the hand previously against his cheek pressed into the pillow beside your head. “I think that’s something  _ very  _ special, my dear.” You give the tentacle a light squeeze before it slides down your wrist and arm, connecting to your shoulder and up your neck, finally ending at your lips. You obediently kiss the appendage as it strokes your bottom lip while Koro-sensei presses his teeth into your jawline in a faux kiss.

His tongue laves down your collarbone to your chest, stroking around your over sensitive nipple before being enveloped into the wet heat of his mouth. Just like before, he lavishes your chest with attention you hadn’t ever experienced before - while his tongue works along your skin, two tentacles knead each breast, and it’s all so much that you feel you could pass out from the pleasure.

You arch up into his mouth and Koro-sensei himself  _ groans _ . “Just like that, my dear; when you arch your back at that angle, it accentuates the shape of your breasts _ perfectly _ .”

“S-Seriously?”

“Very seriously,” He purrs. His mouth retreats to answer you but yet another tentacle appears to attend to your nipple with soft, eager prods.

You release a shuddering sigh, both exasperated and aroused. “Only you would notice something like that.”

Koro-sensei has the gall to look sheepish, but a second later he returns to his ministrations. His tongue trails down your stomach to your mound, tentacles gently spreading your thighs.

You’re still sensitive from your previous orgasm and you mention this to Koro-sensei, who jovially pats your thigh. “Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll be gentle with you!”

“Thank you,” You sink back into your pillows with yet another sigh of contentment. “I’m still recovering from the last three you gave me.”

“Oh goodness, I’m sorry to hear that!” He says, though you have an inkling he isn’t sorry at all. “I’ll go easy on you this time, promise.”

He nestles himself between your legs, both slung over his shoulders as he crouches a little lower. His eyelids flutter when he presses his face into your cunt - his mouth isn’t open at all, though, and you realize that he’s probably smelling you.

“Are you - ?”

“Oh!” Koro-sensei jerks away from you with a start. “My apologies, my dear… d-did I mention that you have an intoxicating scent?”

You stare at him, unsure of whether you should be weirded out or flattered.

“I-I mean,” Sweat beads on his forehead. A light blue hue blooms between in eyes. “It wasn’t distracting before, b-but now that I know it’s from  _ you _ , I, um…” He wrings his tentacles anxiously, eyes darting around the room to avoid your eye. The longer you stare in silence, pink slowly grows where the blue once was.

“Go on, Koro-sensei.” You offer evenly. You have an inkling that he enjoys smelling you, but you wanted to hear him say it himself. The admittance is _ really  _ appealing (you also were enjoying flustering him more than usual).

He looks at you pleadingly and God in heaven, you want to ruin him. “I-I simply can’t help myself! Your pheromones drive me insane! I almost  _ died  _ watching you t-touch yourself!”

You promptly ignore the incessant thumping of your heart and recline back on your pillows, grinning triumphantly. “A’ight, easy, ‘Sensei, don’t start cryin’. Just wanted to hear ya admit that you like smellin’ me.”

He makes a defeated sound, coiling his tentacles around your thighs again. “Must you always tease me? I mean,  _ really _ !”

“Aw, am I that bad?” You watch as he dips his head, dragging his tongue up your lower lips. “I-I’ll stop if you want me to, but I-I think you  _ like  _ bein’ put on the spot sometimes.”

Koro-sensei shoots you a look - one of realization or victimization, you’re not sure - but it lasts only a hair of a second; then he’s back to your pussy, thankfully.

True to his word, Koro-sensei makes quick, gentle work of you. He lightly sucks at your clit while languidly thrusting two fingers inside of you, allowing your second orgasm to slowly build. You come one more time with satisfied, high pitched moan, unconsciously arching your back in that way he likes. He makes sure that your crotch isn’t  _ too  _ wet before sitting back up - and swiping his tongue along your breast one more time, like a kiss goodbye.

Your head feels hazy, muscles pleasantly warm and weightless. Sleep sounds like a wonderful idea, but Koro-sensei has not moved from his position between your legs, so you look up at him. He’s handsome in the darkness, the moonlight bathing him in a cool light - part of you is still coming to terms with thinking an anthropomorphic octopus is handsome, but that’s besides the point.

Your eyes drift down to his perpetual smile.

“I, uhm.” You lick your lips, suddenly flustered and nervous.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, I, uh… Can I kiss you?”

He blinks. His cheeks tint pink. “Kiss me?”

“Yeah. Kind of… Kind of a weird question, since your mouth is a lot bigger than mine, but I’ve been wondering for… awhile. What it would be like, I mean.” You feel your own cheeks heating up. Shit. It feels like you’re 13 again, asking the cutest person in your class if you could kiss them after weeks of awkward dating and sweaty hand holding. Granted, this was a whole different situation, but that’s beside the point.

“O-Of course you can!” Koro-sensei chirps suddenly. He still looks a little taken aback, but the excitement in his voice quells your nervousness.

He makes a motion to wipe at his mouth with the towel. “Let me just -“ You grasp his robes, then, perhaps a bit too eagerly, and he jumps.

“No, it’s alright… I don’t mind,” You swipe a finger just under his mouth, gaze darting from his eyes to his teeth. The thought of tasting yourself on his tongue is doing something to you. That feeling has you pulling him down to close the distance between your mouths, and your lips meet solid surface.

You can imagine his expression even with your eyes closed - dumbstruck, a little unsure - so you stroke your tongue along the edge of his mouth. His jaw opens with a gentle sigh from his throat, his body settling against your own comfortably.

Kissing Koro-sensei is about as strange as you imagined it; the size difference between your mouths is obvious, but it’s not too bad. It’s kind of nice, actually, even if you’re kind of kissing just his teeth, technically…

You swipe your tongue along the bottom of his mouth and lay back against the pillows. Koro-sensei’s eyes stay shut for just a second longer, as if he was processing something, before they blink open and gaze at you.

“Good?” You chuckle.

“Um,” He shifts slightly. “May I…?”

“Yeah,” You wind your fingers around his head. “Yeah, go ahead, ‘Sensei.”

This time, Koro-sensei leans into you, tilting his head slightly. No tongue this time, but the swelling in your chest and the warmth that blooms across your cheeks is enough to make you feel lightheaded. 

He leans back slowly. You kiss just above his mouth - where his nose would be, if he were human - before pulling away for good.

“Thanks for indulging me.” You grin and stroke the globe of his head.

“It is my pleasure, my dear.” He nuzzles into your hand. “Though, it is late. I should be on my way.” Koro-sensei sighs, climbing off your bed.

“Noooo,” You whine pathetically, half joking, half legitimate, and grab onto the edge of his outfit. “Stay with meeeee.”

“A tempting offer, my dear, but we have an early morning and if I stay… there may not be much sleeping.”

“Yeah, but…” You smile coyly. “I don’t sleep well unless I got somebody to hold.”

“Is that why you’re always so cranky in the morning?”

“Heyyy,” You sneer. “Be cool, ‘Sensei.”

“Oh, did you not like that? Hum, I think you  _ like  _ being put on the spot, actually!” He bends down to your level to meet your eye with a teasing glare. “You see how it feels??”

“C’moooon, you’re too petty for your own good.” You laugh lightly as you shove him out of your way so you can stand up. You’re a little unsteady on your feet still, but everything feels so light and warm that you can’t bring yourself to mind.

You slide the balcony doors open and Koro-sensei slips past you. A tentacle tenderly drags across your jawline as he does - you lean into it until it, too, passes you by.

“Have a good night, Sensei.”

“You as well, my dear. See you bright and early!”

“Yeah, yeah. You too.” Without thinking about it, you raise your hand to your mouth and blow him a kiss, dramatically batting your lashes.

He holds a hand over his heart, dumbstruck and grinning cheekily. His laughter warms your body from head to toe, and then he disappears with a gust of wind, fluffing your hair and gently stirring your windchime.

You lock your balcony door and stride back into your room, throwing yourself into your pillows and blankets, grinning stupidly from ear to ear, your heart full. The exhaustion settles into your bones moments later, and you are lulled to sleep by thoughts of gentle, yellow hands and kind words.

 

**Author's Note:**

> lmk if there are any glaring errors or anything!


End file.
